Chairing of Discussion of SME Internationalization Policies @ Oct 2021 Lee Kuan Yew School of Policy Studies National University of Singapore https//www.linkedin.com/in/victortay email: victortay@globalcatalystadvisory.com Singapore was founded in 1819 as the global trading post by British Sir Stamord Raffles. With that Singapore has become a unique country with Trade 3x its GDP and per capital at $65k/capital. Singapore's SMEs forms 99.1% of its economy. They are borned global, what is the status of their internationalization? What will accelerate their internationalization process?

1. New Covid Normal for Business
Internationalization
Victor Tay
CEO
Global Catalyst Advisory
Managing Director
Stout Investment Banking
Governing Council
China-ASEAN Business Alliance
Singapore Digital Chamber of Commerce
Analyses and focus
Background context

2. Context: New Covid Normal

3. Context: New Covid Normal
from pandemics to endemics and global business recovery

4. Context: New Covid Normal on Business
Global Trends and Shift
1. The return of confidence unleashes a consumer rebound
2. Leisure travel bounces back but business travel lags
3. Crisis sparks a wave of innovation and launches a new generation of entrepreneurs
4. Digitally enabled productivity gains accelerate Fourth Industrial Revolution
5. Pandemic induced changes in shopping behavior forever alter consumer business
6. Supply Chain Rebalance and Shift
7. The future of work arrives ahead of schedule
8. Green, with a touch of brown, is the color of recovery (driven by COP26)

5. Issues: Singapore SMEs and Internationalization

6. Singapore Economic Growth
from internationalization as key strategy since 1990s

7. From ERC, ESC to CFE Strategies
from internationalization as key strategy since 1990s
2. Growing
1000
Globally
competitive
companies
1. Deepen
International
Connection
3. Partner
Each Other and hunt-in-a-pack
(Keiretsu, Chaebol, Consortium)

8. Trends in Global SME Internationalization Strategies

9. Singapore has an ambitious SME goal
Economic Strategy Committee aspired to generate 1000 globally competitive companies

10. Plights of SME in Internationalization
Top 10 Overseas Challenges

11. Singapore Firm’s Internationalization Strategy
Predicated on local partnership building and deeper penetration

12. Discussions at Media
rising business costs, financials, culture issues, hunt in pack

13. Objectives of Panel Discussion
Discussion Issues of SMEs Internationalization
Internationalization
Issues
Policy
And Regulations
Internationalization
Approach
Hunt-in-a-Pack
International
Financing
Business Costs
Manpower
Government
Support and
Incentives
1. What are the challenges and
Impediments to Internationalization –
Manpower, Financing, Markets,
FTA, MRAs, Incentives?
2. Are there good scalabe success
cases for internationalization?
3. What are the critical factors
which will accelerate SME to
internationalize?
4. Hunt-in-a-pack: Japan has Keiretsu,
Korea has Chaebols which are large
company driven internationalization.
Should TLCs or GLCs assist in the role?
5. Distil learning points from
Singapore companies case studies:
- M&A
- Franchise and
- Digitalization

14. Panel’s Discussion
Perspectives from government, companies, franchise, association perspectives
Mr Chew Hwee Yong
Global Markets Director, South East Asia, Enterprise Singapore
Mr Toby Koh
Group Managing Director, Ademco Security Group Pte Ltd
Mr Bobby Ong
Franchise Development Advisor, Autosaver Pte Ltd
Mr Ang Yuit
Vice President, Strategies, Development and Digitalisation
Association of Small Medium Enterprises
1. Singapore Backdrop
a. Government policies
And Initiatives for
Internationalization
b. Global markets and
opportunities
2. Company Cases
a. M&A and services firm
expansion
b. Franchise as a scaleable
internationalization model
3. SME Sentiments and
Challenges
a. Association perspective
b. SME challenges/issues
for addressing
c. Digitalization as
opportunities